You have found the product you wanted, the price looks good, and the countdown says you only have a few minutes left. Before paying, pause for a quick check: who are you buying from, what is the total cost, and what happens if something goes wrong?
The checklist below helps you think through your order. You can use it on Black Friday and throughout the year.
Quick shopping checklist
Before paying, work through these eight points:
If you are unsure about any of these points, clarify it first. An urgent offer alone is no reason to skip the checks.
Check who you are buying from
Find the seller’s name, registered address and customer service contact details. Even if there is a contact form, it should be clear which business you are entering into a contract with.
On an online marketplace, pay particular attention to the actual seller: the platform and the business selling the product may have different names. The government office’s Black Friday guide also recommends identifying the seller.
Look for customer experiences in several places. Do not draw sweeping conclusions from a single negative review; repeated complaints, such as missing parcels or unreachable customer service, deserve closer attention.
Hungarian text, a .hu domain and an HTTPS connection do not, on their own, prove that a seller is trustworthy. HTTPS encrypts data in transit, but a fraudulent website can also have a valid certificate. The NKFH’s online shopping guidance addresses this point, too.
Check the total, as well as the discount
When comparing offers, check the exact model number, size, accessories and product condition. A similarly named model or a refurbished device may be a different offer.
When a price reduction is announced, the general rule is that the reference price is the lowest price the seller charged during the preceding 30 days; statutory exceptions also exist. This alone does not tell you what the product costs elsewhere. The government office’s guidance on misleading discounts explains the details.
At checkout, check the product price and quantity, delivery and payment charges, coupon conditions, and any recurring subscription. Alongside an “in stock” label, look for the promised delivery date.
Check the details and approval when paying
If you arrived through an advertisement, email or text message, check the full web address. An address that imitates a familiar brand can be misleading.
When approving a payment through your bank, read which transaction you are authorising. If the amount or payee differs from what you expected, stop. Do not install remote-access software at an unknown person’s request, or dictate or send your banking login details or approval codes. The MNB’s guide to online fraud describes these methods.
If your bank offers it, you can use a separate virtual card or a payment limit set for the purchase. These can reduce risk, but do not replace checking the seller. You can read about the options, which vary by bank, in the NKFH’s guidance on virtual cards as well.
Know how to withdraw before you order
Under EU consumer protection rules, if you buy a product online from a business as a consumer, the general rule is that you can withdraw without giving a reason within 14 days of receiving it. A sale price does not, on its own, remove this right.
There are exceptions, including goods made to order and certain unsealed hygiene products. The same consumer withdrawal right does not automatically apply to a private seller. You may also have to pay return costs if you were properly informed of this. The European Union’s guidance on withdrawal summarises the rules.
Before ordering, find out how and where to send a withdrawal notice. If you wish to exercise the right, send a clear statement and keep proof of it.
Stay alert to messages after ordering
Save the product page or a screenshot of the offer, the order reference and the confirmation.
Check an unexpected “your parcel is delayed” or “pay a small extra delivery charge” message by opening the retailer’s or courier’s official website separately. The Hungarian National Cybersecurity Institute also recommends using an official contact channel you have found independently if you are unsure.
If you think your banking details have reached fraudsters or an unauthorised transaction has occurred, contact your bank immediately using its official contact details, and report suspected fraud to the police. Do not wait for the store to reply before contacting your bank. The MNB’s recommended steps can help you with this.
Run an online store? Check it through a customer’s eyes
The questions above are also a useful starting point for reviewing your own store. Before a campaign, work through how easy it is to find information and place an order:
- Are the seller’s details, contact information and terms easy to find?
- Are the product, stock information and expected delivery clear?
- Are prices, discounts and coupons displayed correctly?
- Can customers complete the cart and checkout journey on mobile?
- Do customers receive clear feedback after successful, failed or interrupted payments?
- Does the order confirmation arrive?
- Do you know how the system behaves with more traffic?
OfficeXpert provides online store development, functional testing of shopping journeys and performance and load testing to help you assess these areas. We agree on the purpose, environment and scope of testing in advance.
Would you like your store’s operation reviewed? Email iroda@officexpert.hu with your store’s address, the key shopping journeys and the planned campaign date. This gives us a starting point for discussing the work.